Superman may be crazier than fans thought! James Gunn confirms that Anthony Carrigan’s transformation into Metamorpho will be done using practical effects.
The debate of practical effects vs CGI is one that’s been waging hard on the internet over the pat few years. Many point to the shoddy state of VFX in many modern blockbusters as proof of the tool’s flaws, while others swear by the practicality of CGI over “practical” effects. Two centerpieces of this debate have been The Thing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Metamorpho in James Gunn’s Superman film.
With the confirmation that The Thing will be CGI following a viral practical stand-in, many fans lost any hope they held that Metamorpho would use practical effects. However, according to a recent post by James Gunn, he did in fact use a practical costume to transform Anthony Carrigan into the beloved Element Man in the upcoming Superman film.
Superman’s Surprising Use Of Practical Effects
Of course, it’s all but certain that James Gunn is going to augment Metamorpho’s costume and powers using CGI. (Unless Anthony Carrigan has secretly been a shapeshifter this whole time!) However, this confirmation points to a broader trend present in news from Superman that Gunn is taking deliberate steps to make the best film he possibly can, even if it may be faster and easier to do it another way.
Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho is far from the only confirmed use of practical effects in Superman. Set photos confirmed that James Gunn used wires to shoot one of the film’s climactic battles on location instead of in a studio. There are also images showing David Corenswet lifting literal rubble props instead of putting effects over cardboard. So while this is far from a guarantee of quality, it’s certain that Gunn has put a lot of thought into every element of the film.
Superman is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
